Locking support means



April 5, 1966 F. F. BRUNETTE LOCKING SUPPORT MEANS Filed Sept. 14, 1965FIG. I

u4aa Q 5 in ,H... e M i P n F FREDRICK BRUNETTE BY WW z n e 7 A 4EVUZ'IQ rr ll v n 6 I I FIG.2

United States Patent O The present invention relates to display devicesfor retaining merchandise and the like, particularly to such devicesadapted to be secured to a perforated board member or the like and moreparticularly to a new support hook for mounting display devices to aperforated board or the like and including a means for locking thesupport hook in position.

The advent of self service merchandising techniques has brought forth atremendous need for a great variety of display devices. Such devicesmust be capable of accommodating a wide variety of articles and must becapable of being readily changed to accommodate new articles and topermit rearranging of old articles to make full use of existinginventories.

To meet this need the self service retail industry relies heavily onperforated board installations. Walls and counters are provided withsuch materials and provide the means to support hook members and displaydevices of various sizes and shapes which in turn carry the merchandisewhich is to be sold. The customer then selects the merchandise andremoves it from the hook member or display device.

The problem has heretofore been that such hook members are readilyremoved and often are removed from the perforated board accidentally bythe customer as he is removing the merchandise. Further, the dimensionsof display racks and the like which can be carried by such perforatedboard has been heretofore limited because with hook members as they havebeen heretofore constructed it was possible to provide only onehorizontal row of such hook members for each rack. This resulted fromthe construction of such hook members which required that they beinserted into the board at an angle inclined upwardly from the normalsupporting position. Because the hook members have been heretoforerigidly secured to the display racks and the like they were to supportthis means that the entire rack or display device must be moved upwardlyand the bottom moved outwardly from the board to permit insertion of thehook members. Thus it is possible with such a construction to provideonly a single row of horizontally spaced hook members. Further, becauseof the outward positioning of the bottom of the rack and the consequentinward positioning of the top of the rack or device which is necessaryto insert the hook members, the vertical placement of the horizontal rowof hook members is also limited.

The result has thus been that racks or devices supported in this mannerare not securely locked to the board and are free to swing somewhat onthe hook members. Further, such racks have not been capable ofsupporting relatively heavy merchandise because inadequate support isprovided by a single row of support hooks. Further such racks could notbe made to take up the entire available space because installation ofthe racks required some room for 'movement of the rack to insert thehook members.

The present invention provides a new support member for securing racksand the like to perforated board and the like which overcome thedisadvantages of heretofore known constructions for such supportmembers. The support member is pivotally carried by the rack or the likeso that all maneuvering which must be done to insert the support memberinto the perforated board is accomplished by pivoting the support memberratherthan therack.

3,244,391 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 This permits the hook members to beplaced at any desired vertical or horizontal position and permits anynumber of horizontal rows of hook members to be provided. Further, sinceit is not necessary to move the rack during installation excepthorizontally, the rack or the like can be dimensioned to take spaceprovided by the perforated board. To prevent the support hooks frompivoting to a position which would permit the rack from disengaging,means for locking the hook members in the securing position areprovided.

It is an object then of the present invention to increase the size andload carrying capabilities of display racks and the like adapted formounting on perforated board and the like by providing a new supporthook construction for such racks permitting any number of horizontallyand vertically spaced hooks to be used to support the display rack.

It is another object of the present invention to increase the use ofperforated board for display purposes and the like by providing a hookmember pivotally mounted to a display rack or the like to permit readyinsertion of the hook member into the perforated board and locking meansoperable to lock the hook member in the inserted or supporting position.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention willreadily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertainsupon reference to the following drawings in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout the several views and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a display assembly embodyingthe hook member of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating the manner inwhich the display rack of FIG. 1 is mounted in position,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to FIG. 2 butillustrating the rack in a mounted and locked position, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken substantially on line4--4 of FIG. 1.

Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of thepresent invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred assembly embodying theinvention as comprising a vertically mounted board member 10 providedwith a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced perforations 12.Such board members are commonly available presently and are used tostore household articles and tools around the home as Well as providingmeans for displaying mechandise in detail stores and the like.

A display rack 14 is illustrated as comprising joined vertically andhorizontally extending wire members 16 and 18 respectively and spacedoutwardly extending hanger members 20., The articles to be displayed(not shown) are intended to be carried by the hanger members 20. It isto be understood that the display rack 14 is merely exemplary of thetypes of racks which can be supported by the support member of thepresent invention and the invention is not intended to be limited to theparticular display rack 14 illustrated.

The display rack 14 is preferably provided with a plurality ofhorizontally spaced vertically extending wire members 22. The wiremembers 22 are preferably secured as by welding to extend between a pairof adjacent horizontally extending wire members 18. Although only onepair of Wire members 22 is illustrated it will be apparent as thedescription proceeds that in actual prac tice a number of such pairswill be provided at various points on the display rack 14.

A horizontally extending Wire member 24 extends between the wire members22 and is secured in place preferably by welding. The wire member 24provides the means for pivotally carrying a hook member 26. The

hook member 26 is preferably provided with an end portion 28 bent aroundthe wire member 24 to provide the pivotal connection. The hook member 26is preferably medially bent as at 30 to provide substantially parallelportions 32 and 34. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the free end ofthe end portion 28 is preferably spaced somewhat from the portion 32 asillustrated at 36. The space 36 isof a Width to prevent the end portion28 from being removed from the wire member 24.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display rack 14 is mounted to theboard member by inserting the hook members 26 into the appropriateperforations 12 provided in the board member 10. As best shown in FIG.2, the portions 34 of the hook members 26 are preferably insertedhorizontally or angularly upwardly into the perforations 12. The rack 14is then moved vertically downwardly somewhat and horizontally toward theboard member 10 to bring the hook members 26 to the position illustratedin FIG. 3. The pivotal connection between the hook members 26 and thewire members 24 permits the hook members 26 to be readily pivoted to themounted position. In the mounted position as shown in FIG. 3 the portion34 of the hook member 26 engages the underside of the board member 10while the medial bent portion 30 extends through the perforation 12 andthe portion 32 engages the outer surface of the board member 10.

In this position the portions 32 and 34 extend substantially vertically.To lock the hook member 26 in the mounted position, a locking member 38is provided. The member 38, as can best be seen in FIG. 4, preferablycomprises a fiat piece of preferably metal material having its lateraledge portions bent around the wire members 22 so that the member 38 isslidably movable vertically along the wire members 22. The lockingmember 38 is thin enough to fit within the space 36 provided between theend portion 28 and the portion 32. When the hook member 26 is pivoted tothe mounted position, the space 36 is substantially vertically disposedso that upon moving the locking member 38 within the space 36, the hookmember 26 is prevented from pivoting and the hook ,member 26 is thuslocked in the mounted position.

It is apparent that with the hook member of the present invention adisplay rack or the like can be securely mounted to perforated board andonce the locking member 38 is moved into place there is little danger ofthe desired area to provide a secure mounting and to provide adequatesupport for even heavy articles. The pivotally mounted hook members alsopermit a maximum use of the available area of the perforated board bydisplay racks and other display devices.

Although it has been preferred to describe the hook members of thepresent invention as being used to attach racks and the like toperforated boards such hook members could be used if desired to supporta single hanger member.

It is also apparent that although I have described but a singleembodiment of the present invention, many changes and modifications canbe made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention asexpressed by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a display device and a perforated support member,means for mounting said display device on said support member,said'means comprising (a) a hook member adapted to be inserted into saidperforated support member,

(b) means pivotally connecting said hook member to said display device,and

(c) means for selectively locking said hook member in one pivotedposition with respect to said display device.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which (a) said hookmember is provided with an end portion bent around a portion of 'saiddisplay device to provide said pivotal connecting means,

(b) the free end of said end portion being spaced from the adjacentportion of said hook member to define a slot therebetween, and

(c) said locking means comprising a member carried by said displaydevice and selectively movable to a position Within said slot at saidlast mentioned pivotal position to lock said hook member in said pivotalposition.

3. In combination with a display device and a perforated support member,means for mounting said display device on said support member, saidmeans comprising (a) a hook member and means pivotally connecting saidhook member to said display device,

(b) said hook member being insertable into said perforated supportmember and being provided with portions engaging said support member atone pivotal position of said hook member to secure said display deviceto said support member,

(0) means selectively locking said hook member in said last mentionedpivotal position.

- 4. The combination as defined in claim 3 and in which (a) saidpivotally connecting means comprising a wire member carried by saiddisplay device and an end portion of said hook member being bent uponitself around said wire member,

(b) the free end of said end portion being spaced from the adjacentportion of said hook member to define a space therebetween, and

(c) said locking means comprising a member carried by said displaydevice and selectively movable to a position within said space when saidhook member is pivoted to said last mentioned pivotal position.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3 and in which said pivotallyconnecting means comprises a pair of spaced parallel members carried bysaid display device, a wire member secured to said parallel members andextending therebetween and an end portion of said hook member bentaround said wire member and returned upon itself to pivotally connectsaid hook member to said wire member.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 and in which said locking meansmember comprises a flat sheet of material extending between saidparallel members and movable therealong,

7 The combination as defined in claim 6 and in which opposite lateraledge portions of said locking means member are bent around said parallelmembers.

8. In combination with a display rack anda perforated verticallydisposed board member, means for mounting said display rack to saidboard member, said means comprising (a) said display rack being providedwith a pair of spaced parallel wire members disposed to extendvertically when said display rack is attached to said board member and awire member extending between said first mentioned wire members and substantially normal thereto,

(b) a hook member pivotally carried by said second mentioned wire memberand pivotal in'a vertical plane when said display rack is disposed in aposition for attachment,

(c) said hook member having a portion insertable into said perforatedportion and engaging said board member in a locking engagement upon saidhook member being pivoted from said inserting position, and

((1) means carried by said first mentioed wire members and movabletherealong to a position engaging said 5 6 hook member and locking saidhook member in said adjacent portion of said hook member to define alocking engagement pivotal position of said hook slot, member. (0) saidlocking member being movable to a position 9. The combination as definedin claim 8 and in which Within said slot at said locking engagementpivotal (a) said last mentioned means comprises a member 5 Position ofSaid hook mfimbefextending between said first mentioned Wire members andhaving the lateral edge portions thereof bent References Cited by theExaminer around said first mentioned Wire members, UNITED STATES PATENTS(b) the end portion of said hook member being bent 3,18 560 6 1905 DeCristino 2 1 77 around said second mentioned Wire member and the 0 freeend of said end portion being spaced from the UDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A DISPLAY DEVICE AND A PERFORATED SUPPORT MEMBER,MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID DISPLAY DEVICE ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAIDMEANS COMPRISING (A) A HOOK MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO SAIDPERFORATED SUPPORT MEMBER, (B) MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID HOOKMEMBER TO SAID DISPLAY DEVICE, AND